Ex-French president Sarkozy tours Louvre Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi - The delegation, which included senior representatives from TDIC and TCA Abu Dhabi, witnessed the museum's advanced construction stages.

The Tourism Development & Investment Company's (TDIC) Chairman, His Excellency Ali Majed Al Mansoori and the Tourism & Culture Authority Abu Dhabi Chairman, Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak hosted former French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a special tour of Louvre Abu Dhabi's construction site.  
According to a press release, the delegation, which included senior representatives from TDIC and TCA Abu Dhabi, a member of the French Parliament and representatives from the French Embassy in Abu Dhabi, witnessed the museum's advanced construction work.
These included observing the completed dome's 'rain of light' effect, as envisioned by Louvre Abu Dhabi's architect Jean Nouvel, and the installation work of 30,000 square metres of natural stone paving.  
"We are honoured to welcome Mr. Sarkozy to Louvre Abu Dhabi's construction site, where he was given the opportunity to experience the museum's design come to life and observe the wondrous 'rain of light' effect of its iconic dome, which will attract art lovers and visitors from across the world. We are also pleased to observe that the museum's construction continues to be on track, and we expect to handover the building in mid-2016," said Al Mansoori.  
Louvre Abu Dhabi's construction was awarded to an Arabtec-led joint venture with Constructora San Jose SA and Oger Abu Dhabi LLC in 2013. Once completed, the museum will feature permanent galleries, a Temporary Gallery, a children's museum and an auditorium, in addition to a rich array of artworks, which visitors can admire across 9,200 square metres of display space.

• Abu Dhabi